Sport Rugby

Jantjies: Small town boy to Bok sensation

Ockert De Villers|Published

JUST A SMALL-TOWN BOY: Springbok sensation Herschel Jantjies. Photo: Raghavan Venugopal. JUST A SMALL-TOWN BOY: Springbok sensation Herschel Jantjies. Photo: Raghavan Venugopal.

There is only one Springbok from the tiny Cape Winelands town of Kylemore and that honour belongs to Herschel Jantjies.

Jantjies has surprised many with his spectacular rise from relative unknown a few months ago to a member of the Boks’ Rugby World Cup squad.

His ascent has provided the youngsters of Kylemore and other areas with a glimmer of hope that they can rise above their circumstances.

Of is hometown, Jantjies says: “There is only one Springbok from Kylemore, and that is me. It is not a big place, it is a very small community.

“The people are very excited down in Kylemore, not a lot of people knew I was home [on Sunday before the squad was announced the next day], we had a family lunch at my house.

“Then some of the neighbourhood people came and asked for pictures and wish me good luck.”

START OUT: Jantjies rose to fame with the UWC Rugby team. Photo: Supplied.

Jantjies took to international rugby like a duck to water with the pressure of starting on his Bok debut against Australia in the Rugby Championship barely visible, scoring two tries.

He followed that up with a try against the All Blacks, highlighting his big-match temperament. So when did he realise he was on the cusp of making the Rugby World Cup squad?

He answers: “Probably the first time I got invited to the Springbok camp, everything just started from there, this snowball effect. It was a surprise!”

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He adds: “I aspire to be one of those guys who gets to play 110 games or more for the Springboks.

“I don’t want to be a guy that plays the World Cup and is then just gone.

“I want to make myself proud, make my parents proud and the people of Kylemore and South Africa proud.”